Men who try to act like liberal feminists took a powerful beating on the NBC superhero comedy Powerless on Thursday night.
In the episode “Green Furious,” Emily (Vanessa Hudgens) is working with superhero Green Fury on a commercial for the Wayne Security Poncho. The only problem is that the ad calls for Green Fury to be naked and that’s going to be a tough sell for her.
Meanwhile, Teddy (Danny Pudi) has a crush on Green Fury and he thinks he’s figured out how to woo her – act like “a tough but sensitive woke feminist” who wears a “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” shirt and guy-liner. Riiiiiight.
Teddy: I'm so done with Game of Thrones. I mean, the nudity is just gratuitous. It's not even, like, sensual composition. I mean, the fact that it's the same network that gave Lena Dunham a platform is just confounding to me, you know? All bodies are good bodies.
Girl: Yeah.
Ron: What are you talking about? You love Game of Thrones. I mean, you uploaded a super cut of all the nudity and called it a "Thigh-light reel"... Which was very clever.
Teddy: I crunched the numbers from the surveys, and I found the perfect persona to ask out Green Fury. I am now a tough but sensitive woke feminist who was raised by a single parent after his mother was killed trying to save Christmas.
Ron: Okay, well, buddy, I was with you the last time you tried to pick up Green Fury, and I don't think it's in the cards.
Green Fury: Emily! Where's Emily?
Teddy: Showtime. Right after I apply some guy-liner.
Ron: Oh, you done lost Yo' damn mind.
Emily: And if you think about it, you're not really naked. You're just saying you feel naked without your Wayne Security Poncho.
Green Fury: So I'm not actually naked?
Emily: No, you're definitely naked. But it's a great example of sex-positive feminism.
Teddy: Hey, Emily, the patriarchy called. They want their rationale back. Green? No one told me you'd be here. It's me, Theo. Remember? Theo?
Green Fury: What happened to you?
Teddy: I'm woke now, yeah, so, um, what about we go after this is done and we get some green smoothies, um, but, like, what do you think about that, like...
Green Fury: Um, I think that this is a lot.
Ron: All right, buddy. Come on. I'm gonna get that smoothie with you. Right after we hose off that guy-liner.
Teddy: Coexist.
Ron: No, no, no, no, no, no.
Sorry, women don’t like effeminate men who wear “guy-liner” and randomly say, "Coexist."
In the end, they have a man naked in the commercial with Green Fury fully dressed. Van Wayne, who pushed for the naked spot, mansplains the situation to Emily and Green Fury as if he were a feminist: “Well, it looks like we all got what we wanted. And the best part about it is, we didn't have to compromise who we are as women. You know, if there's one thing I've learned" - Green Fury abruptly flies away - “Hey! Hey! No, wait, I'm trying to explain feminism! When a man is talking, you listen!” Sigh. White, heterosexual, cisgender males, am I right?
Coexist, people!
